Update of the Implementation of the African Observatory for Science,

Technology and Innovation

Philippe K. Mawoko (PhD)

Director a.i.

mawokop@africa-union.org;

pmawoko@aosti.org

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AMCOST V, 12-15 November 2012Senior Official Meeting; Brazzaville , 12Nov 2012

AOSTI has taken Shape

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Outline

• Introduction

• Institutional development

• Programme development

• Cases of measurements of STI activities

• Next steps3

INTRODUCTION: The need of evidence based policy making in Africa

There is a recognition that good policy making is fact-based or (based on sound indicators)

In the context of STI, policymaking is understood as decisions and actions taken by policy makers to promote, regulate and use scientific advances, technological development, and Innovation….for a purpose…[regional integration, economic development overall poverty reduction, social wellbeing, etc.. ]” ….

Decisions of the AU Summits and AMCOST Recommendations have called for evidence based policy making for development

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INTRODUCTION: Recalling AMCOST references to evidence based policy making

November 2003, Johannesburg , AMCOST endorsed the compilation of indicators for STI activities.

September 2005,Dakar, AMCOST established an intergovernmental committee to chart a common framework for compiling STI indicators

September 2007, Mombasa and April 2010, Cairo - Indicators of R&D and innovation activities presented in the context of ASTII by AUC/NEPAD

May 2012, Intergovernmental meeting in Malabo and AMCOST Bureau in Addis Ababa– AOSTI draft statutes and programme of work (broadening the scope of STI indicators and adding institutional and Policy analysis dimension s to the process )

Brazzaville, November 2012, progress report on the implementation of AOSTI5

INTRODUCTIONWhy an African Observatory for STI (AOSTI)

Support evidence based policy making in Africa To provide the Minister of STI with indicators and policy advice comparable to

that received by the Minister of Finance, Governor of Central Bank? To present STI indicators in a way that is accessible to the policy community

and to civil society Gauging STI support to Development outcomes-(poverty alleviation, human

development

CPA Section 4, Programme 5.1 (Project 1 & 2) Established by the AU Summit, Feb. 2009. Hosting Arrangements

AOSTI Vision a continental repository of STI statistics, and

a source of policy analysis

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Operationalizing governance support mechanisms

Basic dimensions of AOSTI functional space: impartiality, credibility, quality standards and relevance

The Draft Statutes Document spells outa) Governing Board ( Articles 6-8)

b) Technical Advisory Panels (Article 9)

c) Executive Secretariat ( Article 10)

d) Mechanisms at the national and regional levels

e) Partnerships

Institutional development

INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT EXECUTIVE SECRETARIAT

Current Human Resources spearheading the measurement STI activities

Current AOSTI Staff (Malabo)

Director a.i. ( Oct 2011) Administrative and Finance Expert recruited in May 2012 Senior Expert in S&T Policy recruited in June 2012 Senior Expert in Innovation Policy recruited in June 2012 Recruitment of support staff – underway

Staff at NEPAD Agency/ASTII (Pretoria) and National structures in the participating countries Coordinating the collation of R&D and Innovation measurement

in AU member states since 2007 9

AOSTI Programme of Work for 2013-2017Agreed upon at Intergovernmental Meeting,

Malabo, May 9-11, 2011

Programme 1: Building STI capacities

Programme 2: Technology Forecasting and Prospecting

Programme 3: Developing and Managing STI Indicators

Programme 4: Strengthening National Innovation Systems

Programme 5: Policy Studies

Programme 6: Policy Outreach and Advocacy 10

BUILDING STI CAPACITY TEC

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STRENGHTNING NATIONAL INNOVATION SYSTEMS (NIS)

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TRAINING COURSES ON STI SURVEYS & REVIEWS OF NIS

INFRASTR. SUPPORT OF NAT. STI FP/OBSERV.

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SUPPORT OF NISs REVIEW

COMPARATIVE STUDIES OF NISs

PROMOTION OF NISs INFO SHARING

SUPPORT OF INNOV. POLICY DEVELOP.

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African led Experience in measuring STI activities

Intergovernmental Meeting on ASTII–(Maputo 2007)Adoption of measurement frameworks for R&D and Innovation activities

a) Production of African Innovation Outlook 2012

b) Increase nbr of participating countries from 19 to 28

c) Linking indicators to outcome and impact (research calls)

d) Acknowledging AUC/NEPAD, Sida and countries support

Intergovernmental Meeting on AOSTI-(Malabo-2012) Broadening the scope of measurement frameworks for ST&I, introduction of policy dimension and institution develepmnent

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Efforts to measure R&D and Innovation

Measurement of R&D and Innovation Activities in Africa

Survey wave

Number of countries

Source

2007-2010 19 www.nepad.org

2011-2013 28 TBA

Source of Funding

Sectors where R&D is carried

out

Foreign Government Othersources Business

Higher Education

BusinessGovernment

Framework to measure R&D activities

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Example of findings in the R&D Surveys : GERD as % of GDP

Source: ASTII surveys

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Example of findings in the R&D Surveys: Share of Foreign Funding in R&D Activities (%)

Source: ASTII surveys

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Example of Research Output for ASTII countries

Measured by the number of articles in the Scopus database;1990-2009.

Source: ASTII Surveys

Innovation indicators (ASTII) • Technological innovation

• Non-technological innovation

• Innovation Inputs • Innovation Outputs

• Key policy relevant characteristics

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Funding and Sustainability of STI Measurement and Policy Analysis Efforts ( continental level)

ASTII Sida funding: USA $ 2.9 m for ASTII phase 1 (2007-2010) and

USA $ 3m for ASTII phase 2 ( 2011-2013) Contribution of participating countries

AOSTI Host country (Equatorial Guinea) pledged US$ 3.6 m in 2009 for start up

activities . So far US$ 370,000+ US$1,000,000 disbursed for start up activities

Call is hereby made to other African countries to support AOSTI to sustain the effort

Mobilisation of resources and challenges 19

AOSTI Programme Outputs ( 2012-13) 1. THE AFRICAN STI SYSTEM(S)

Input, STI processes , Output, Outcomes/Impact2. AFRICAN INNOVATION OUTLOOK SERIES

i. R&D and Innovation indicators ( ASTII- 2013 )ii. Scientific and Technological indicators (Bibliometric

indicators) (February 2013)iii. GBAORD indicators (Budget) ( 2013)

3. AOSTI WORKING PAPERS i. Best Practices of Observatories for STI (January 2013)ii. Assessment of capacity needs and priorities for STI policy making in

Africa (February 2013)iii. Conceptual framework for National Innovation System (NIS) in Africa

(June 2013)

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AOSTI Expected Outputs 1. Governance

i. AOSTI Statutes documentsii. AOSTI Structure

2. AOSTI Information system (in cooperation with ITU and other partners )

3. AOSTI Premises (by the host country)

4. Partnership and collaboration 21

• Developing and putting in place working modalities

• resources mobilisation strategy

• information and communication strategy

• information management system

• promotional materials and STI advocacy.

• longer term AOSTI strategic plan

Next Steps

• STI partners including : UIS, UNECA, AfDB Statistics, OECD-NESTI, CeSTI- south Africa

• Sida

• Government of Equatorial Guinea

• International and African Experts

• AUC , AMCOST, NEPAD

Acknowledgments

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pmawoko@gmail.com;

pmawoko@aosti.org

mawokop@africa-union.org

Thank you